Bold ventures—especially the world-changing type we’re advocating here—require this kind of experimental approach. Yet as most experiments fail, real progress requires trying out tons of ideas, decreasing the lag time between trials, and increasing the knowledge gained from results. This is rapid iteration.

Every meeting is about avoiding coming anywhere near the sentence, "this might not work," and instead giving ammunition to the groupthink belief that this must work. And as soon as you do that, you’ve guaranteed it won’t. Every bestseller is a surprise bestseller, and in fact, nobody knows anything. (And of course, it's not just movies, is it?)

Now it turns out the president's promise came with a very large caveat: "If you like your health-care plan, you'll be able to keep your health-care plan - if we deem it to be adequate." He earns four Pinocchios.